Psychophysiological Mechanisms of Performance, Fatigue and Recovery in Combat Sports

Combat sports represent one of the most physiologically and psychologically demanding domains in elite athletics, requiring the continuous interaction of cognitive, emotional, neuromuscular, metabolic, and autonomic processes under conditions of acute and chronic stress. Although previous research has extensively examined performance outcomes in combat sports, less attention has been directed toward the underlying psychophysiological mechanisms that regulate fatigue, recovery, adaptation, and resilience in athletes exposed to repeated high-intensity training and competitive demands.This Research Topic aims to advance the current understanding of the psychophysiological mechanisms and responses underlying performance, fatigue, and recovery processes in combat sports. In contrast to collections focusing primarily on technical, tactical, or ergogenic applications, this Research Topic specifically emphasizes the physiological, cognitive, emotional, neuropsychological, and autonomic mechanisms associated with performance and adaptation in combat athletes.We welcome original research articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, brief reports, and perspectives investigating psychophysiological responses in combat sports such as boxing, wrestling, judo, taekwondo, karate, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, fencing, and related disciplines.Potential areas of interest include, but are not limited to:• Neurophysiological and psychophysiological responses to training and competition• Central and peripheral fatigue mechanisms• Recovery physiology and autonomic nervous system regulation• Stress, anxiety, emotional regulation, and cognitive responses in combat athletes• Hormonal, inflammatory, oxidative stress, and metabolic responses• Neuromuscular adaptations and performance optimization• Monitoring technologies and psychophysiological assessment methods• Sleep, recovery, resilience, and adaptation processes• Cognitive performance, attention, decision-making, and reaction mechanisms• Acute and chronic responses to combat sport-specific training modelsBy integrating multidisciplinary perspectives from sport physiology, sport psychology, neuroscience, biomechanics, and performance science, this Research Topic seeks to clarify the mechanisms that shape athletic performance and recovery in combat sports, while providing evidence-based insights for researchers, practitioners, and coaches. Topic editors: YUNUS EMRE YARAYAN, Yusuf Buzdağlı Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81803/psychophysiological-mechanisms-of-performance-fatigue-and-recovery-in-combat-sports